Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-07-28
7-7H -
MRS. PIPER.

MRS. PIPER.
Mrs. Piper was widow
" Oh, dear met
ihis world is not at ALL she said s'the place
it used to bel pow
wow my poor husband, he was such a good
man to provide e'oN
I never had the leastest care of ans, .,,,~.
sidel e "e'
But now,
Why, there's the cow
A constant care, and Brindle's calf used to
feed when small,
ana those two Ayrshire heifers that we nur.
chased in the fall
Oh, dear,
my husband sleeping in the grave, IT, S gloomy
being here
The oxen Mr. Piper broke. and fonr steers
two year old,
The blind mare and the little colt. tbev al,
wait to be soldi
For how am to keep 'em nows and vet how
shall sell!
And what S the price thew ought to hr, ,,.
can a woman tell9
Now Jacob Smith, he called last n,oht ana
staid till nine o'clock,
And talked and talked, and talked and taI,,ed
and tried to buy my stock;
He said he'd pay higher price than anv man
In town;
He'd give his note, or, If I chose he'd pay the
money down.
But, there!
10 let him take those creeturs of, really do
not darel
For tbs a lying world, and men are slippery
things at best
My poor dear husband in the ground. he
wasn't like the rest
But Jacob Smiths different case; II I would
let him, now,
Perhaps he'd wrong me on the horse. or cheat
me on COW;
And so
i do not dare to trust him, and I mean to an.
swer 'No.''
Mrs. Piper was widow
~Oh, dear mel
single woman with farm must fight her
way" said she.
'Of every thing about the land my husband al
ways knew;
never felt, when he was here, I'd any thing
todo;
But now, what fields to plow,
And how much hay ought to cut, and lust
what crops to sow,
And what to tell the hired men, how can a
woman know
Oh, dear!
With no strong arm to lean upon, it's lone.
some being here!
NowJacob Smith, the other night he called
on me again,
And talked and talked, and talked and talked
and staid till after ten;
He said he'd like to take my farm, to buy il
or to lease
do declare, wish that man would give me
any peacel
For, therei
To trust him with my real estate 1 truly do
not dare;
For, If he buys it, on the price he'll cheat me
underhand
And, IL he leases it, know he will run out the
land;
And, If he takes it at the halves, both halve:
he'll strike for then.
It's risky work when women folk have deal
ings with the menl
And so
lido not dare to trust him. and I mean to an
swer No."
Mrs. Piper was a widow
"Oh, dear mel
Yet have still some mercies left; won,
complain" said she.
My poor, dear husband knows, trust, bet
ter world than this;
'Twere sinful selfishness in me to grudge hin
Heavens blissi
So now,
ought to bow
Submissively to what is sent-not murmu
and repine;
The hand that sends our trials has in al
some good design.
Oh, dearl
live knew all, we might not want our buriet
lost ones here!
And Jacob Smith, he called last night, but /
was not to see
About the cattle or the farm, but this time
was mel
He said he priced me very high, and wished
I'd be his wife,
py life.
He did not have a selfish thought, but gladly
for my sake,
The care Of all my stock and farm he woult
consent to take
And, therel
To slight so plain Providence I really d
not dare
He'll take the cattle of my mind, he'll carr,
on the farm
haven't since my husband died had such
sense of calml
woman must,
In such a world as this feel, have some on
she can trust;
And SO
lido not feel it would be right for me 10 an
swer No."
-Mdridn Douglas, in Century Magazine.